Crispy Thai Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro stems chopped
- 6 shiitake mushrooms chopped
- 1¾ oz vermicelli rice noodles — use
- 5¼ oz grated carrot
- 5¼ oz thinly sliced cabbage
- 7 oz bean sprouts
- 8¾ oz minced meat either chicken, beef or pork optional — I used 50% pork and 50% beef and it was delicious!
- 3 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- Spring roll wrappers
- 1 quart vegetable oil peanut oil, or equivalent high smoke point oil
Instructions
- Prepare the vermicelli noodles as indicated on the package (the ones I use just need to soak 4 minutes in hot water).
- In the meantime, gently fry the garlic in some oil. After a minute or so, add the minced meat, if using.
- When the meat is cooked, add the coriander stalks, the mushrooms, the sprouts, the grated carrot and cabbage. Mix for a minute and remove from heat.
- Stir the oyster sauce, the fish sauce and the sugar. Using scissors, cut the rice noodles into smaller pieces, and stir the mixture as well.
Create the Rolls
- Carefully, peel off a sheet of the spring roll pastry. Place in front of you with the corner down (like a diamond).
- Scoop about two tablespoons of the filling on the lower half of your pastry sheet and shape it in the form of a large cigar. Fold the lower end over the mixture and start rolling from the bottom up. Fold over the sides halfway. Using a finger, apply egg yolk on the top end before you close the roll.
- This is easy! I let my kids take on this job — the bigger kids can roll, the smaller ones can peel off the next sheet and apply the egg yolk.
- You can prepare the rolls in advance — just keep them cool and under a moist tea towel so they don’t dry out.
To deep fry:
- Heat the oil in a big pot. Test if the oil is hot by sticking in an end of a roll — when the oil starts to sizzle it’s ready. Rotating to both sides, cook spring rolls (you can cook quite a few at the time) for around 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Take out using a slotted spoon and let rest on paper towel while cooking the rest. Make sure the oil doesn’t get too hot — you may have to turn down the heat. When everything is fried, serve immediately!
- Serve with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce, and/or Hoisin dipping sauce